All American Legacy | The History of the 82nd Airborne Division

In the aftermath of 9/11 President George W. Bush declared a Global War on Terror.  Following the invasion of Afghanistan in October, 2001, U.S. forces invaded Iraq, believing president Saddam Hussein sponsored terrorist groups and possessed weapons of mass destruction.  As it was in Saint Mihiel, Normandy, the Dominican Republic, and Kuwait, America's Guard of Honor was at the forefront of the initial assault in 2003. Episode 35 of the All American Legacy podcast, "War on Terror: Baghdad, 2003," is the story of the Paratroopers who participated in the initial moments of Operation Iraqi Freedom in their own words.   The All American Legacy podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office and tells the most compelling and important stories from the 100-year history of America's Division.  Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave a rating and review, as these help others find the podcast.

For the past eight months, Falcon Brigade, the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, has been a critical part of the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.  The Falcon Paratroopers assisted Iraqi forces in the fierce fight to liberate Mosul of ISIS. Just last week, Falcon Brigade assisted in the liberation of Tal Afar, the last remaining Iraqi ISIS stronghold.This podcast, recorded in Iraq over the past two weeks, does not present our history; our Paratroopers are adding to our legacy in Iraq and Syria today.  As Falcon Brigade's is fighting ISIS in the streets of Iraq right now, we are publishing this episode outside of our normal release schedule.  This is an evolving story, one that virtually all of the national media has ignored.  The fight in Tal Afar was ISIS' last stand in Iraq; this was a critical battle for our Nation and the 82nd Airborne Division was at its leading edge.We'll resume our bimonthly release schedule and publish episode 35 on Tuesday, September 19th with a new episode every other Tuesday thereafter.   The All American Legacy podcast tells the story of the 82nd Airborne Division's 100 years and is developed by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office.  This episode was produced by Jason Whitely.  Please subscribe on iTunes and tell others about the All American Legacy podcast.  Leave a rating and a review as these help others find the podcast.  

In Episode 33, part 2 of our 2 part series, “A Violent, Complicated Place,” the story of our paratroopers in Kosovo takes a dark turn as a shocking war crime threatens the progress made by the All Americans. The fallout is immediate, rocking the region and our paratroopers.  It was a moment the men who served their will never forget and here they tell their stories. This episode contains descriptions of graphic sexual violence and may not be appropriate for all audiences. The All American Legacy podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division. This two part series was produced by Josh Harrison.  Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review, as these help others find the program.

In 1999, the eyes of the world once again turned to the 82nd Airborne Division.  With the breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Balkans collapsed into a vision of hell; decades of hatred between Serbs and Albanians boiled over and the region exploded into an orgy of violence. Lawlessness prevailed, innocents were massacred, the streets ran red with blood. Torture chambers and mass grave sites were more prevalent than schools and police stations.  President Bill Clinton declared an emergency, sending America’s Guard of Honor to the region to protect both sides and to allow a semblance of civilization.  The Division’s mission was not entirely clear and often oscillated between policing and governing.  It was a confusing time for our Paratroopers, with the threat of widespread ethnic violence always lying just beneath the surface. In part one of “A Violent, Complicated Place,” a two-part series, we hear the story of the All Americans in Kosovo in 1999 and early 2000 from those who served there.  We present this episode with very little narration, allowing the Paratroopers to relay their experience in first person. The All American Legacy podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division. This two part series was produced by Josh Harrison.  Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review, as these help others find the program.

Although constituted August 5, 1917, the 82nd Airborne Division was officially manned 20 days later on August 25. This is the day on which we celebrate its birth. One-hundred years later, we are still All American, All the way. We are ready to jump tonight and win tomorrow’s fight as we honor the legacy passed down by those who paved the way for us since our inception.In Episode 31, Joe Buccino and Kenneth Clarke bring the conversation they had in episode 30 about the Division’s Century of Service, full circle. They address the essence of what it means to be a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division then, now and in years to come. The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office.  Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review, as they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast. Please share this podcast with your friends. The next episode of the All American Legacy Podcast will air on 5 September, 2017.

The All American Division was born in August, 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia for entry into World War I. Since its designation as an airborne unit, the Division has played a critical role in almost every major conflict involving U.S. forces, from WWII to the Global War on Terror. One-hundred years after its constitution, we celebrate a legacy we have inherited by the many who paved the way for us during this Century of Service. Always ready to jump, fight and defend our Nation's interests and freedom, the 82nd Airborne Division is what it always has been: America's Guard of Honor.We are All American, All the way!In episode 30, "A Century of Service", you will hear key points about the Division's history, who we are today, and why. The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review, as they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast. Please share this podcast with your friends.

Episode 29 - Jump Scratched I The Combat Jump That Never HappenedOn the evening of September 18, 1994, almost 3,000 All American Paratroopers were packed, rigged, armed, and ready.  Loaded down with M16s, ammunition, water, flashlights, and parachutes, they were stuffed in the back of C-130s and two hours away from an airborne invasion into Haiti.For many, this would be their first taste of combat.  They were carried by adrenaline, by dreams of airborne glory, by a vision of a return to the Division's D-Day glory.  They were two hours away from a valorous mission, a lifetime of stories, and a gold combat star in the middle of their airborne wings.Two hours was as close as they would get.These men were to form the initial assault force for an operation to remove that country's dictator. The mission, Operation Restore Democracy, would be the airborne assault that never was.In episode 29 of the All American Legacy podcast we hear from some of the Paratroopers on those C-130s.  We'll also hear how the threat of the 82nd Airborne Division caused General Joseph Raoul Cédras, the de facto ruler of Haiti, to step down and allow for democratic elections.  We'll dispel some popular myths about that mission and offer the real story of Operation Restore Democracy.The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the 100-year legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday.Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review, as they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast.  Please share this podcast with your friends.

The March 23, 1994 collision of an F-16 and a C-130 at Fort Bragg's Green Ramp is among the deadliest accidents in U.S. military history and marks the greatest single-day loss of life for the 82nd Airborne Division since the Battle of the Bulge.On this episode of the All American Legacy podcast, we honor the 24 All American Paratroopers killed on Green Ramp that day and tell stories of the courageous first responders who prevented many more deaths.Those who died are immortalized on the 82nd Airborne Division Training Death Memorial outside the 82nd Airborne Division War Museum on Fort Bragg.  On episode 28, "Paratroopers On Fire I Disaster at Green Ramp" we let the survivors of this tragedy tell their own stories.The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the 100-year legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday.      Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review, as they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast.  Please share this podcast with your friends.

World War II is coming to an end and the 82nd Airborne Division is making its final push into Germany. In this episode we discuss the closing days of the war, joining our All Americans in Rhiems, France where the deeply weathered Paratroopers receive replacements and equipment and begin training for a potential jump into Germany. During one of their training jumps, an aircraft malfunction leads to tragedyOnly days before the war's end, the All Americans discover one final horror of war: the Wobbelin Concentration Camp.After Victory in Europe is declared, the Division remains in Berlin on occupation duty and struggles with post-war discipline. In spite of these problems, the 82nd fulfills a key piece in its legacy by forming an honor guard. In this epsiode we will debunk a common myth surrounding the development of the Division's title "America's Guard of Honor."Finally, the All Americans come home with a flourish and are spared inactivation in a post-war Army. The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday. Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.

We've almost made our way through World War II. For this episode, we hear from Paratroopers who fought in some of the fiercest conditions of the war.  During the final German offensive that began in December 1944, the Battle of the Bulge, the 82nd was rushed into combat with little food, ammunition, and winter clothing. The Paratroopers held their ground against German tanks and artillery, pushing back and by February 1945 had pushed into Germany.We also dig into who actually said the famous quote, "Looking for a safe place? Well, buddy, just pull in behind me - I'm the 82nd Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going."   The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday.   Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.

Within the culture of the 82nd Airborne Division, few symbols are more recognizable than the maroon beret, the odd-looking hat of the 19th century French peasant that has come to represent the American Paratrooper.  In this episode of the All American Legacy Podcast, we uncover the history of our distinctive headgear.  We found that our use of the maroon beret has a surprisingly complicated history and once served as the source of an Army-wide controversy.  For this episode, we spoke with a number of people across a wide spectrum of experiences, to include a New York Times fashion writer, a historian, and a beret maker who has been outfitting members of the 82nd Airborne Division with the headgear for decades.  Through these discussions we gained perspective on the maroon beret and what it means both inside and outside the Division and identified why it is so important to our culture and legacy.The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every other Tuesday.   Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.

When you study the 82nd Airborne Division through the lens of American history over the past one hundred years you find that all the important occasions - the defining events that shaped our Nation - are somehow touched by the All Americans.  On this episode of the All American Legacy podcast, we bring you back to a time when the 82nd Airborne Division deployed to restore order.  This time, not in some far-off country.  This time, the mission for the All Americans was in America.On this episode of the All American Legacy Podcast we discuss a dark period for our Nation. Amidst the racial strife of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination touched off a firestorm of riots in Washington, D.C.  The 82nd Airborne Division was called upon to control the chaos.   On this episode, we bring you the voices of the Paratroopers who were there on the ground during those riots.The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday.Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.

Today we move forward in the chronology of All American history to a dark period for our country: the Vietnam War.  This was a time of domestic strife; the war was unpopular, anti-war protests were held all over the country, and there was national opposition to the draft instituted to support the conflict.  In February, 1968, against this backdrop of turmoil, a brigade of Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division was ordered to Vietnam as an emergency measure in response to the Communist Tet Offensive.  Our Paratroopers were attached to the 101st Airborne Division marking the first time these two famed divisions fought together since D Day.This was a brutal, confusing conflict against guerilla forces that hid in jungles and villages; Vietnam was a very different kind of combat than that experienced by the 82nd in World Wars I or II.In this episode of the All American Legacy podcast we give voice to the All American Paratroopers who fought in Vietnam.  We spoke with a number of Vietnam veterans and here they tell their stories of friendship, grit, and ferocious combat.  We also tell the story of Staff Sergeant Félix Conde Falcón, the only member of the Division awarded the Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam, from men who fought with him.The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday.Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.

Episode 22 -- Sanctuary l A Commemoration of D Day The All American Division formed in Georgia, reformed in Louisiana and is now headquartered in North Carolina. But the All American Legacy really started in Sainte-Mère-Église, the town we liberated on D Day. It was this town, popularized in the movie "The Longest Day," that introduced the 82nd Airborne Division to the imagination of the western world. Sainte-Mère-Église was merely a point on a map for our Paratroopers on the night of June 5th, 1944. Today, the town of Holy Mother Church is sanctuary for the 82nd Airborne Division, a place dedicated to preserving the memory of an extraordinary moment. In episode 22 of the All American Legacy podcast, released on the 73th anniversary of D Day, we visit this revered site and speak with World War II Paratroopers and the citizens who witnessed history here. The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office and tells the story of the 100-year history of our Nation's most honored combat unit. We encourage listeners to leave a rating and a review of our podcast on iTunes; these things help other listeners find the program. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday. You can contact the All American Legacy Podcast via email at 82ndairbornedivisionpao@gmail.com. Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts.

All American Week 100 is behind us.  The celebration, the running, the competition.  It’s all over.  In this episode we take a look back at the highlights, the best moments, and the most somber reflections of 100 years of All American history.  This episode features interviews with All American Legends from World War II, veterans from our Cold War deployments, and current Paratroopers.  In “The Next One Hundred Years” we also look forward to the future of America’s Division. We place All American Week 100 in perspective, culturally, socially, and historically, and project the future of America’s Guard of Honor.  The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office and tells the story of the 100-year history of our Nation's most honored combat unit. We encourage listeners to leave a rating and a review of our podcast on iTunes; these things help other listeners find the program. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every Tuesday. You can contact the All American Legacy Podcast via email at 82ndairbornedivisionpao@gmail.com. Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts.